"And as far as tomorrow's World Cup qualifier in Germany is concerned, let's hope we do as well as the last team from England to play in Munich's Olympic Stadium."

That team, of course, was Newcastle United who beat 1860 Munich 3-2 in the Intertoto Cup and with Shearer back home on Tyneside it was left to Nobby Solano - the same Solano who forgot his shooting boots against Sunderland - to score the goal of the season.

Like the rest of the Newcastle United squad - Bobby Robson has 12 players away on international duty this week - Shearer has been given the weekend off and he will be Sky Sports' guest with Trevor Francis in their studio in the Olympic Stadium tomorrow.

And Shearer goes to Munich knowing that in his last appearance against Germany he scored the winner in the Euro 2000 victory in Charleroi (pictured).

Indeed there are not many Englishmen still around who have scored the winning goal against Germany on foreign soil, and Shearer is expecting to get some good-humoured stick tomorrow.

But he joked: "I'll not be much of a threat to them tomorrow from the television studios."

However, he added seriously: "Obviously there will be a little part of me which wishes I was out there playing tomorrow.

"But I have absolutely no regrets at my decision to call a halt to my international career. As far as tomorrow is concerned, it is a massive, massive game for England.

"And I am sure that if we can get all our players fit then we can get the victory we need although it is going to be very tough.

"The consequences of an England defeat are not worth thinking about and what is going to make it harder is that I suppose Germany would be satisfied with a draw."

Shearer has been with the rest of Robson's skeleton squad this week as the United boss and first-team coach John Carver have kept things ticking over not only in the absence of the 12 players away on international duty but also with the injured trio of Kieron Dyer, Carl Cort and Gary Speed missing.

The United skipper added: "The knee stood up fine to everything last Sunday and now I am looking forward to being involved against Middlesbrough next Saturday.

"Before that I might have another 45 minutes in a practice match the boss is arranging for next week."

Shearer and United have had time to reflect on Sunday's game at St James's Park after they outplayed Sunderland in the second half and had to be content with a 1-1 draw.

Shearer said: "We were pleased at the way things went, apart from our finishing. But I have to say that Nobby is one of the best finishers at the club and he puts the kind of chances he missed against Sunderland away in training without batting an eye-lid.

"But he had what we all have - an off day.

"At the other end one lapse of concentration cost us dearly and the longer the game went without us scoring that second goal the more I became worried that Sunderland would sneak a late one but fortunately that did not happen."